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Venerable Ajahn Natthiko - The Biography

Natthiko Bhikkhu was born in Sweden in 1961. There were no significant religious influences in his life until adolescence, when he met his first spiritual teacher, a bird named Jonathan Livingston Seagull. Then followed Hermann Hesse, Jack Kerouac, Carlos Castaneda, Robert Pirsig, Albert Camus and others. After graduating from Stockholm School of Economics in 1985, with the Swedish equivalent of an MBA in International Finance, he was sufficiently aware of the first noble truth to try out Transcendental Meditation. Three years in the corporate world ensued, in France, Latin America, Spain and Stockholm. Appearing successful externally, internally it was becoming increasingly clear that life was elsewhere. He resigned, studied Classical Literature for a year, volunteered for the Samaritans hot-line, and got a job with the United Nations in Madras, India.

Influenced by India, Krishnamurti and Zen Buddhism, he did meditation retreats at Wat Ram Poeng outside Chiang Mai. The book “Seeing the Way”, particularly the contributions from Luang Por Chah, Ajahn Sumedho and Ajahn Sucitto, inspired him to travel to Wat Pah Nanachat in January 1992, arriving 12 days after Luang Por Chah passed away. In February 1993 he was given Upasampada by Tan Ajahn Maha Amon. He spent 7 years training in Thailand, mainly under the guidance of Ajahn Pasanno and Ajahn Jayasaro. Since 1999 he lives at Cittaviveka Forest Monastery in Chithurst, West Sussex.

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